The Weight of Thousands
by Divine Archetype
Summary: Yellow Comet's part in AW2 through the eyes of Sonja. Contains angst in later chapters.


Dawn.  
  
The rising sun shone over the training camp, revealing line after line of infantry clad in yellow with rifles in perfect position. Rows straight as a bullet all facing the podium in front of them where one person waited to address them.  
  
Sonja looked out over the new additions to Yellow Comet with a smile. Things had been rough after the fall of Sturm, but now military strength was sixty three percent greater than what it had been before the war in Cosmo Land. New recruits poured in every day, and the latest polls showed the populace absolutly adored the Emperor. The country was in top economic shape, and unemployment was below one percent. Yellow Comet was a fine country indeed.  
  
Sonja flipped on the microphone in front of her and begin to address the crowd. "During the past year, Yellow Comet has become a greater nation than it has ever been. I am proud to live in the finest nation the world has to offer. I often ask myself, why are we so great?"  
  
Sonja paused and scanned the crowd. "Is it because of our leadership? Is it because of our economy? Our military?" She shook her head. "No. What is a leader without his people? What is an economy without its employees? What is an army without its soldiers? Nothing. Our country is great because our people are great. Everywhere I go there is always someone who greets me and gives me a pleasant smile. You are the reason this nation is great. You are the reason our economy is great. And now, after months of training, you are the reason our military is great. I salute you!"  
  
The ranks of infantry broke out into cheers. Today was the day they had been waiting for. Their training complete, they were now part of the Yellow Comet army. Sonja smiled. She remembered when she had graduated from the acadamy. Top of her class. Father had been so proud.  
  
A tap on the shoulder brought her back to the present. She turned to see Mai, her senior intelligence officer, standing behind her with a worried look. "Yes?"  
  
"A report from Division One." She handed a folder with the words 'Top Secret' stamped on the front. "We have gathered intel that large groups of hostiles are approaching our borders."  
  
Sonja turned off the microphone. "What?"  
  
"Divison One cannot determine who they belong to." Mai pulled a couple of pictures out of the folder. An odd looking helicopter was on one of them, and the other one was a blurred close up of the insignia off the helicopter. It looked slightly familiar...  
  
"Black Hole." Sonja stuffed the pictures back in the folder. "Do we have any idea how long it will take them to reach us?"  
  
Mai opened her mouth to respond, but the trio of battle copters that suddenly zoomed over the podium were as good a respones as any. Sonja watched as the odd shaped craft flew over the crowd and then turned around. Mai grabbed Sonja's arm and hauled her off the platform as lead tore into the wooden surface.  
  
Sonja covered her face as splinters rained down. "We need air coverage! Get-" Her words were drowned out as two Yellow Comet fighters streaked over the field in pursuit of the copters.  
  
Mai lead Sonja over to a jeep. "I already scrambled some. Get to the Imperial Palace and inform the Emperor of the situation."  
  
Sonja nodded and hopped into the jeep, her heart still pounding from the near miss. "I'll see what father can do. I want to see a full report on their forces in three hours."  
  
Mai threw Sonja a salute. "Good luck."  
  
Sonja revved the engine up. "I never have good luck."  
  
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The jeep screeched to a halt in front of the Imperial Palace, and Sonja hopped off. The guards waved her through, but she ignored them as she ran towards the grand structured.  
  
Designed to be an everlasting symbol of the Emperor's power, the Imperial Palace was a huge edific that towered above the elegant gardens spread before it. The light reflected from the roof was more brilliant than its source. The first floor alone could house over a thousand people if necessary.  
  
Sonja ran up four flights of stairs, using the railing carved like a mythical dragon to help her up. She burst past the guards and into the Emperor's room.  
  
Huge murals adorned the walls in the style of old art. Most of them depicted the Emperor going about his daily duties. Sonja looked around, but Kanbei was nowhere to be found. Then she heard a noise from the massive closet.  
  
"Where is it?" Kanbei stepped out of the large walk-in closet and spotted Sonja. "Ah, Sonja, there you are. I can't seem to find my other sock."  
  
Sonja groaned. "Father...we don't have time for this. Black Hole is invading."  
  
"What?" Kanbei held up both fists. Sonja stared at the striped sock on his right hand. Buttons had been sewed on it to give the appearance of a crude figure. Kanbei quickly tore it off and hid it behind his back. "We must rally the troops immediately!"  
  
"Perhaps I can help."  
  
Sonja turned at the sound of a voice. An old man in paratrooper garb stood in the entrance. A gasp escape from Kanbei. "Sensei! I have not seen you in years!"  
  
The old man smiled. "It is good to see you, my old pupil. I thought you might need my help in driving out these mysterious invaders."  
  
Kanbei smiled and walked over to Sensei. "Any help would be most apreciated." He held out his hand, forgetting he was holding a sock puppet.  
  
Sensei took the puppet. "What is this? A puppet?!?" He hit Kanbei over the head with it. "How can you be playing with puppets at a time like this?"  
  
Kanbei held his hands up in defense. "I-well, um..."  
  
Sensei snorted. Sonja interrupted before anything else could be said. "I believe it is time we went down to the war room and planned our first move."  
  
Sensei nodded. "It is good to see someone has a sense of duty."  
  
Kanbei rubbed his head where the buttons had hit him. "Hmmph." 


End file.
